Tooth wear (for example, associated with Bruxism) and gingival recession are both conditions (among other defects) that, if not treated in a timely manner by dental professionals, can have serious medical consequences. In the case of Bruxism, lateral movements and tooth grinding can cause significant tooth wear and lead to muscle pain, temporomandibular joint issues, and headaches. In some cases, this may lead to the dentin being exposed, dental decay, and even tooth fracture.
Despite the potential severity of these consequences, the tools available to dental professionals for diagnosing and assessing the severity of tooth wear and gingival recession are limited. In the case of tooth wear, these tools include patient questionnaires, clinical examination by a dentist, and bite force measurements. Clinical examinations may be performed using the Individual Tooth-Wear Index, which provides a rating between 0 and 3 based on visual assessment by a dentist. However, none of these techniques directly measure the amount of tooth wear exhibited, and most of them are subjective and qualitative. All of this suggests the need for a more quantitative, repeatable metric that can be used for the assessment of these conditions.